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New enforcement system aids safety at UK railroad crossings

Railroad crossings account for the majority of public fatalities that occur on the UK’s rail network. In order to reduce the risk of accidents, the operator of the country’s railway infrastructure, Network Rail, undertook a project through a number of targeted measures, which included the development of a new Home Office Type Approved (HOTA) device that allows for the automatic, unattended enforcement of vehicles that misuse level crossings.

Network Rail selected Vysionics as a development partner for the project, due to the company’s previous experience in achieving the extremely rigorous requirements of HOTA, including the first certification of an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR)-based unattended enforcement system in 1999. The UK-based developer of ANPR and average speed enforcement systems, which was acquired by the German Jenoptik Group in November 2014, has installed and operated thousands of our enforcement cameras in the UK, including the SPECS average speed enforcement device used at hundreds of locations across the country.

Vysionics has developed the Vector LX system, which was awarded HOTA certification in February and is now operational at sites across the UK, making it the first ever non-invasive solution to achieve unattended enforcement approval. Vector LX is a completely new device, pulling together a number of highly capable but standard modules into an integrated package. Using a combination of video, ANPR and scanning radar, the unit is able to monitor multiple vehicles and journeys in all weather and lighting conditions. A non-invasive design approach means that the system does not interface directly with the ‘Wigwag’ signals and removes the need for in-road loops and strips. Whilst the current HOTA approval covers just the capture of red light offences, a planned development will also allow the system to capture and present anonymous survey data, providing a wealth of leading indicators, covering factors such as vehicle speeds, queue lengths, pedestrian misuse and traffic volumes, all sorted by time and day.

Geoff Collins, sales and marketing director at Vysionics, commented, “This is a fantastic opportunity for us, and we are delighted to be working with Network Rail on such an important project. Vector LX will deliver a truly innovative solution that can help to reduce deaths and injuries on level crossings.”